A San Francisco lawmaker criticized Giants players for writing Bible verses on their cap during the organization’s Pride Night as MLB warned the team about the messages on Monday.
Matt Dorsey, a Democrat who represents District 6 and sits on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, wrote on social media the event was “disappointing in several respects.” He authored a lengthy thread on X about the ordeal.
First, as a sports fan, it struck me as problematically undisciplined,” he began. “When you’re a highly paid professional athlete, your uniform isn’t a canvas for individual self-expression — especially about politics — and it has been my observation over the years that championship-caliber teams never tolerate distractions like this.
“Second, as a person of faith, I’ll be the first to defend Bible verses and prayer as sources of inspiration and strength for many athletes — I have no problem with that. But I am bothered to see Biblical cherry-picking used to score political points, on a single occasion, and it’s hard to argue this was anything other than that.”
Dorsey added that, as a gay man, he was “disappointed” that a symbol of the LGBTQ+ community was still seen as “controversial.”
“Major cities with major-league sports teams are inherently diverse, and if you’re uncomfortable celebrating the wide array of heritage and pride nights for communities that make up the city on your uniform, maybe the major leagues aren’t for you.”
Still, Dorsey didn’t think the players who wrote the Bible verses on their Pride Night cap were “bigoted.”
“All that being said, I refuse to call what these athletes did bigoted or hateful — and I would urge all those offended or hurt by this episode to show them grace. The LGBTQ+ equality movement succeeds when we commit to winning hearts and minds, rather than shaming them,” he added.
Sudhir Chaudhary is an Assistant Editor at JYNews Online. He brings over 23 years of experience in electronic and digital media. He has a keen interest in writing on topics related to politics, current affairs, the judiciary, defense, foreign affairs, and business. After completing his graduation from St. Columba’s College, Hazaribagh, and studying TV Journalism at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, he has contributed to several prestigious television channels. He has been actively engaged in digital journalism for more than six years.